Alabama QBs in 2024, II

[davefrat]

It kinda has started to trickle out, but usually it’s a 3-4 year dump of information. Alot of people don’t want to dump on current players and wait a few years to do so.

The problem here is that 80% of the fanbase wants to accept only one of two points. 1) that the team threw the USF game or 2) Simpson and Buchner were just not good as Milroe in 23. But the often overlooked point was that Milroe didn’t play at all that day in South Florida. No one seems to want to know why and just wants to assume Saban was testing his options. The truth is that Milroe was suspended because of his reaction to a heated film study with the offensive staff on his reads during the Texas game. It kinda puts into question why our offense was atrocious the one game that he was suspended.

Idk how involved Milroe was in on the faction of the locker room that supported him but I do know that Saban buried a particular receiver on the depth chart because he was loafing for Buchner during a scrimmage that Buchner and Simpson were doing very well and Milroe couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn.

So to think there wasn’t locker room drama around the quarterbacks especially after Saban himself hinted at it seems like a person is just actively avoiding information just because they don’t believe it. Now to what extent is a different question. What I do know is that I have heard credible people claim it was very bad and credible people say it really was typical drama and the real problem is that all 3 quarterbacks were about equal in terms of risks and rewards so they just went with the guy that had the locker room. But one thing they all agree on was there was locker room drama about who was going to be the quarterback.

I don't think anyone seriously questions that Milroe and Simpson were far better than Buchner.

He looked looked absolutely horrendous in what little game action he actually got.

 

[81usaf92]

I

That being said, I find it incredibly hard to believe that the greatest coach and one of the most authoritarian coaches of the last 30 years rolled over for a team mutiny.

Well when he comments that he is perplexed about how his team acted during the Rose Bowl by their press conferences, how they played, and how he is shocked by the classlessness of his players after a loss with players throwing helmets (that was a reference directly aimed at Milroe) you kinda see that the Saban way in 23 was not the Saban way of 07-22. So it really isn’t a stretch to suggest that Alabama and Saban weren’t subject to a player revolt.

 

[81usaf92]

I don't think anyone seriously questions that Milroe and Simpson were far better than Buchner.

He looked looked absolutely horrendous in what little game action he actually got.

The point is that the Big Milroe defenders come up with the same line about Simpson that they do about Buchner in that they failed their audition so Milroe is clearly better.

 

[colbysullivan]

I've seen interviews where he talked about team chemistry and that he believed that Milroe gave the team the best option for success, but nothing directly on point of him saying the team chose Milroe.

I mean, was there really a situation last season where the greatest coach of all times had to yield to a team mutiny or face a disaster of a season?

Seems to me that even the kinder/softer version of Nick Saban would not have stood for that kind of nonsense.

Then again, if he did, then maybe he decided well before the end of the season that he was done.

I think your last sentence says it all.

 

[davefrat]

Well when he comments that he is perplexed about how his team acted during the Rose Bowl by their press conferences, how they played, and how he is shocked by the classlessness of his players after a loss with players throwing helmets (that was a reference directly aimed at Milroe) you kinda see that the Saban way in 23 was not the Saban way of 07-22. So it really isn’t a stretch to suggest that Alabama and Saban weren’t subject to a player revolt.

My point is that it would seem even the kinder/softer Saban would rather (as some posters have said they'd accept were they in charge) to limp to a 8-4/7-5 season than let the lunatics run the asylum.

But maybe he'd already given up and figured that he'd ride out the season and get the best record he could rather than deal with the insurrection.

Seems like a really dramatic change of tenor for a guy like Saban, but stranger things have happened.

 

[davefrat]

The point is that the Big Milroe defenders come up with the same line about Simpson that they do about Buchner in that they failed their audition so Milroe is clearly better.

Buchner was simply awful.

It's hard to see how he ever was a starter at any major program.

And instead of taking one last stab at QB at even an FCS program, he chose to play lacrosse.

Truly bizarre.

 

[colbysullivan]

It kinda has started to trickle out, but usually it’s a 3-4 year dump of information. Alot of people don’t want to dump on current players and wait a few years to do so.

The problem here is that 80% of the fanbase wants to accept only one of two points. 1) that the team threw the USF game or 2) Simpson and Buchner were just not good as Milroe in 23. But the often overlooked point was that Milroe didn’t play at all that day in South Florida. No one seems to want to know why and just wants to assume Saban was testing his options. The truth is that Milroe was suspended because of his reaction to a heated film study with the offensive staff on his reads during the Texas game. It kinda puts into question why our offense was atrocious the one game that he was suspended.

Idk how involved Milroe was in on the faction of the locker room that supported him but I do know that Saban buried a particular receiver on the depth chart because he was loafing for Buchner during a scrimmage that Buchner and Simpson were doing very well and Milroe couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn.

So to think there wasn’t locker room drama around the quarterbacks especially after Saban himself hinted at it seems like a person is just actively avoiding information just because they don’t believe it. Now to what extent is a different question. What I do know is that I have heard credible people claim it was very bad and credible people say it really was typical drama and the real problem is that all 3 quarterbacks were about equal in terms of risks and rewards so they just went with the guy that had the locker room. But one thing they all agree on was there was locker room drama about who was going to be the quarterback.

He‘s no longer here, so I’ll just say it was Brooks.

 

[PA Tide Fan]

Here's some comments from Dallas Turner about Saban that may or may not have had some significance on the QB controversy:

"From how he was my freshman to my junior year, I kind of seen a lot of changes and stuff like that," Turner said. "I wasn't surprised. But how it went about, I was kind of surprised. He probably would crack a lot more jokes and stuff like that. It started to be more player-led. It was always since he's been there, but you could tell the players really had a lot of say and he was a lot more open to a lot more ideas and what the players had to say and stuff. But it was all good though.

Don't know if this means that if the players come to him and want Milroe to be the starting QB he'd oblige or not.

 

[davefrat]

He‘s no longer here, so I’ll just say it was Brooks.

And our top receiver transferred out because he thinks Milroe isn't good enough.

So, the O-line wanted Milroe, and some of the receivers wanted Milroe and others didn't, and most of them were dogging it one way or the other in protest.

IF that's the case, then the fact we won the SEC is almost impossible to believe.

It's a wonder we didn't lose to GA by 40 in Atlanta.

 

[colbysullivan]

Buchner was simply awful.

It's hard to see how he ever was a starter at any major program.

And instead of taking one last stab at QB at even an FCS program, he chose to play lacrosse.

Truly bizarre.

That is true. However, Tom Brady would have looked bad with the OL/blocking we had that day.

I was always perplexed by us taking Buchner in the first place. All it did was take valuable reps away from Simpson. I still maintain Simpson did enough to earn the start against Ole Miss last year. Had that happened, I don’t think Milroe is still here today.

 

[colbysullivan]

And our top receiver transferred out because he thinks Milroe isn't good enough.

So, the O-line wanted Milroe, and some of the receivers wanted Milroe and others didn't, and most of them were dogging it one way or the other in protest.

IF that's the case, then the fact we won the SEC is almost impossible to believe.

It's a wonder we didn't lose to GA by 40 in Atlanta.

Agreed. The entire 2023 season made absolutely no sense.

 

[colbysullivan]

Here's some comments from Dallas Turner about Saban that may or may not have had some significance on the QB controversy:

"From how he was my freshman to my junior year, I kind of seen a lot of changes and stuff like that," Turner said. "I wasn't surprised. But how it went about, I was kind of surprised. He probably would crack a lot more jokes and stuff like that. It started to be more player-led. It was always since he's been there, but you could tell the players really had a lot of say and he was a lot more open to a lot more ideas and what the players had to say and stuff. But it was all good though.

Don't know if this means that if the players come to him and want Milroe to be the starting QB he'd oblige or not.

NIL has everything to do with this. It ruined college football and forced the GOAT to retire in just 3 seasons.

 

[AlexanderFan]

And our top receiver transferred out because he thinks Milroe isn't good enough.

So, the O-line wanted Milroe, and some of the receivers wanted Milroe and others didn't, and most of them were dogging it one way or the other in protest.

IF that's the case, then the fact we won the SEC is almost impossible to believe.

It's a wonder we didn't lose to GA by 40 in Atlanta.

I was digging around looking for the “team chose Milroe” quote, and what I did find actually supports 81’s story about a benching. Read all those comments with the idea he was suspended and they make more sense.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I’ve asked the same question about Saban allegedly saying that the team chose

I’ve asked similar questions about the team choosing Milroe and all I’ve been able to find are interviews where Saban said that he thought Milroe was the best option at QB.

Maybe he said something different that’s not as readily available.

That being said, I find it incredibly hard to believe that the greatest coach and one of the most authoritarian coaches of the last 30 years rolled over for a team mutiny.

Again, maybe there’s information I can’t find to the contrary.

I have no idea what caused the crap effort by the OL in the USF game. The only information we had available to us was Milroe had been "benched" or "sat" because of how he handled the loss to UT. So, the only difference from the UT game to the USF game was the quarterbacks. The horrific body language and horrific effort made it very very easy to connect those dots. Whether the dots and lines were legit, we'll never know. But that was the worst effort I'd seen by an OL that I can remember.

 

[davefrat]

That is true. However, Tom Brady would have looked bad with the OL/blocking we had that day.

I was always perplexed by us taking Buchner in the first place. All it did was take valuable reps away from Simpson. I still maintain Simpson did enough to earn the start against Ole Miss last year. Had that happened, I don’t think Milroe is still here today.

After we brought in Buchner a good friend of mine who is a huge ND fan texted me something like, "What is going on at Bama that you guys would want this guy?"

 

[davefrat]

I have no idea what caused the crap effort by the OL in the USF game. The only information we had available to us was Milroe had been "benched" or "sat" because of how he handled the loss to UT. So, the only difference from the UT game to the USF game was the quarterbacks. The horrific body language and horrific effort made it very very easy to connect those dots. Whether the dots and lines were legit, we'll never know. But that was the worst effort I'd seen by an OL that I can remember.

There was a game during Shula's tenure where Croyle got sacked like 99 times in a game and there was a lot of talk about the O-line basically allowing him to get killed for whatever reason.

Seems like 100 years ago.

 

[81usaf92]

That is true. However, Tom Brady would have looked bad with the OL/blocking we had that day.

I was always perplexed by us taking Buchner in the first place. All it did was take valuable reps away from Simpson. I still maintain Simpson did enough to earn the start against Ole Miss last year. Had that happened, I don’t think Milroe is still here today.

Since the guy is no longer on our staff I think I can say it… The understanding in the post spring period was that neither Simpson or Milroe were going to win the job. Saban and Rees wanted an established quarterback but had already passed on 2-3 great ones because of money in pre spring. Buchner was seen as the guy who was going to be the starter and both Milroe and Simpson were transferring. But neither Milroe or Simpson transferred and Milroe had that infamous Florida trip that infuriated the staff and it became a huge circus event.

 

[AlexanderFan]

Since the guy is no longer on our staff I think I can say it… The understanding in the post spring period was that neither Simpson or Milroe were going to win the job. Saban and Rees wanted an established quarterback but had already passed on 2-3 great ones because of money in pre spring. Buchner was seen as the guy who was going to be the starter and both Milroe and Simpson were transferring. But neither Milroe or Simpson transferred and Milroe had that infamous Florida trip that infuriated the staff and it became a huge circus event.

You are bringing the big sticks today, wow.

 

[JDCrimson]

Well, i had just had a conversation with someone an hour ago that was at EVERY practice last fall and THIS spring who said that discipline and team unity was really poor and near unmanageable by Saban.

There was no Process last year... Alot of issues with teamwork and immaturity are having to be addressed this spring. Helmet throwing seems to be a favorite showout move within the team.

And to reiterate again, Saban had already made a decision to retire after the season last summer. That rumor was already out around town before the season even started. The decision in January was a reconsideration about continuing on but the undiscipline had already taken root where players flagrantly challenging authority and extorting more NIL money. He reaffirmed his decision to retire likely on the notice that Dobeor was coming.

I don't buy it. That performance could have been a really bad day -- they happen, SEE Florida State/Alabama in 1974 -- instead of some kind of revolt.

It's unfathomable to me that something would not have leaked out of the locker room to confirm any conspiracy among the players rather than a truly awful performance by a team coming off a disheartening loss that was also searching for a quarterback and an identity.

 

[JDCrimson]

This just shows you how poor the UGA gameplan was...

And our top receiver transferred out because he thinks Milroe isn't good enough.

So, the O-line wanted Milroe, and some of the receivers wanted Milroe and others didn't, and most of them were dogging it one way or the other in protest.

IF that's the case, then the fact we won the SEC is almost impossible to believe.

It's a wonder we didn't lose to GA by 40 in Atlanta.